


Coming home

by wetbellamyblake



Category: The White Queen (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-11-21
Updated: 2013-11-21
Packaged: 2018-01-02 07:02:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,373
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1053878
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wetbellamyblake/pseuds/wetbellamyblake
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>George had told him that heaven would lead him home but he never thought that it would bring him to Middleham.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Coming home

**Author's Note:**

> This is a slightly different after-life/fix-it story!

Richard was walking through the fields with a hand before his eyes. The bright light in heaven was still blending him, he was simply not used to it.

He always thought it would be Anne who would welcome him but instead he found his brothers Edward and George there when he arrived. 

When he first noticed Edward he was terrified, not knowing what he would do but his brother only looked at him with a disappointed look on his face and shook his head but he never said a word. George explained to him everything and Richard nodded once in a while. 

When Richard asked Edward why he wasn't saying anything George replied that he can't talk to him right now or he would say things he may be regret afterwards.

Richard nodded again. Of course Edward was mad at him at disappointed. He felt the same towards himself.

Still walking through the fields, Richard stopped as he saw a castle in the horizon. He blinked a few times, thinking that it was only an imagination. George had told him that heaven would lead him home but he never thought that it would bring him to Middleham.

His steps became faster and soon he felt himself running towards his home. When he got more near he saw two people standing before the castle. His breath caught as he noticed Anne and next to her was his son, their son, Edward.

They were both looking at him as he came near. Richard smiled lightly but his smile froze when he saw Anne's look in her eyes. She was looking at him emotionless before she turned and walked into the castle.

Richard stopped and looked at Edward. His son was looking to his mother and then back to his father. His gaze seemed confused and hurt. Edward gave his father one last look before he turned and followed his mother with lump shoulders.

"You completely messed it up.", Richard heard someone say behind him and when he turned around he saw Edward of Lancaster standing about 5 feet away from him.

"What...?", he started to ask but couldn't figure out how to ask what Edward was doing here.

Edward laughed at this and shook his head.

"You don't know, do you?", he started and smiled.  
Edward didn't wait for Richard to answer and nodded slowly.

"You know, when you're in heaven everything is easier. At least it should be. When Anne arrived, I went to her and apologized for what I have done to her. I never thought it would be so simple to stand in front of the ones you hated first.", he explained and looked at Richard who looked a little bit lost.

"I killed you.", was the only thing Richard could say.

Edward laughed again. Richard couldn't help but realize that his laugh wasn't as evil as it was on the battlefield. It was more heartily.

"Yeah I remember that!", Edward replied, still laughing.  
"Oh and Anne knows it too by now.", he added and sat down next to Richard. He gestured him to sit next to him and Richard couldn't do other than sit down next to Edward.

"You told her?", Richard asked after a moment of silence and looked at Edward, who nodded in response.

"When Anne arrived here I went to her and apologized. On earth I wasn't able to treat her like a husband should treat his wife. I hurt her, physically.  
I wondered myself how easy it was and that she forgave me. Later she explained to me that the reason why she could forgive me so easily was that I never had her heart.", Edward said and looked at Richard.

"But you had her heart, you silly head! And you played with it. Honestly, when you were standing before her at her funeral and told to Elizabeth that you feared it was a broken heart because of you we all hoped that you finally got it. But no, you needed to bed your niece before the battle.", Edwards voice became a tad louder at the end and he sighted loudly.  
"Now that was something no-one could understand.", he added and looked down again.

Richard looked at him with shock.  
"You know?", he asked and wondered who might know it, too. He always thought that only the closest people to him would be able to see him but Edward of Lancaster?

"Everyone here knows, you fool!", Edward replied and laughed again.  
"And believe me, if you think that your brother was the most enraged one, you're completely wrong.", he added and got up.

Richard followed him and in a moment he was standing in front of him. 

"And now?", he asked and Edward looked at him with wide eyes.

"Well, you can start to beg for forgiveness to your wife! I'm sure it will take some time but you have all eternity for that.", Edward said, turned around and started to walk away from Richard.

"And why were you here?", Richard asked as he was looking at his back.

Edward turned and grinned at him.

"I forgive you that you killed me.", he answered and was gone.

Richard looked at the castle after Edward was gone and with a sight he started to walk towards it.

As he entered is old home he was surprised to see no one. He walked to the great hall, hoping that Anne would be there. He needed to talk to her but stopped suddenly as he entered the great hall. Sitting on a chair, the feet on the table and reading a book was his mentor. His father-figure. His father-in-law, Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick.

Warwick looked up at he noticed Richard's presence in the room. He placed the book aside and stood up, pouring himself some wine.

"You seem surprised that I am here.", he said and walked to the big window at the side, turning his back to Richard.  
"This is not only your home, my boy. It was mine, too." he added and took a sip from his wine before turning around to look at Richard.

"I guess you already saw your brothers?", Warwick asked and Richard could only nod. Warwick looked so much younger than the last time he saw him and every movement he made remembered him of Anne.

"You can call yourself lucky, you know? Edward was determined to find a way that could kill you again. He was devastated when I told him that he couldn't.", Warwick said and looked at Richard for the first time.

"So, I should thank you now?", Richard asked and was surprised of the hard, loud voice that came out of his mouth.

Warwick laughed.  
"Oh no. You know I was doing some research on that because I would have helped Edward in every way with that."

Richard looked at his father-in-law. He wished that he didn't need to come here, even purgatory seemed more welcome than this.

"Where's Anne?", he finally asked and Warwick placed the glass of wine on the table.

"She doesn't want to see you.", he simply replied and smiled lightly as he saw the hurtful look on Richard's face.

Richard knew that Anne was probably angry at him and that it would be hard to make it right, considering her look earlier. But hearing directly that she didn't want to see him was like if someone pierced a knife through his heart.

"Oh you think that Anne is overreacting?", Warwick asked and Richard looked at him, shaking his head lightly.

"Did you realize what you did to her?", he asked and Richard remained silent. Of course he knew but he also hoped or thought that she understood.

"She understood why I needed to do this.", Richard replied finally.

"Oh really? Did she?", Warwick asked with a loud voice.

When Richard didn't answer, Warwick took the glass off the table and threw it against the wall where it shattered in pieces.

"When did she understand it? Before or after you humiliated her in front of the whole country? Before or after you bedded your niece?", Warwick asked, screaming at Richard.

Richard looked down. When he came to heaven he never thought that he needed to face his father-in-law. For a moment he thought of how disappointed his own father would be.

"I wont even start with what you have done to my wife.", Warwick calmly said.

"George was going to steal everything, I tried to get for your daughter what was rightfully hers.", Richard replied, looking back at him.

"By declaring my wife dead and putting her under arrest?", Warwick asked and looked at Richard.

"it was the best choice then.", Richard said and looked down again.  
"I thought it was the best decision then." he added and looked back at his former mentor. Warwick only shook his head.

"You disappointed me, Richard.", Warwick said after a long pause of silence and turned around, walking towards the window again and looking outside.

"Anne is upstairs with your son.", he said and a smile appeared on his face.  
"He's a good child.", he added and as he heard Richard leave he turned again and stopped him.

"Did you plan to divorce from Anne and take everything?", he asked and Richard turned around to face him.

"Never. I loved Anne with all my heart. I still do.", Richard said after he shook his head lightly.

Warwick sighted and nodded.

"She will forgive you. She loves you for her life and she can definitely not think to pass one day without loving you.", he said and Richard saw a light smile on his lips before he turned around and went upstairs, searching for Anne and Edward.

Richard found her in her old chambers, the one she had shared with Isabel when she was a child. 

Anne was sitting by the fireplace and sighted as she heard Richard enter her rooms. She knew that he would search for her. Even if she felt that she wasn't ready to face him, she felt herself to be relieved that he was finally here.

"Anne.", Richard murmured and sat on the chair next to her.

"Richard.", she replied and looked at him. She noticed that his hair was longer as before she died. She couldn't help but remember how much she loved it when it was longer and a blush was covering her cheeks as she thought of why she did so.

"Anne, I...", Richard started but was interrupted by her voice.

"Don't.", she said and looked at her hands.

"I only want to know one thing.", she said and brought her gaze back to Richard.  
He looked at her and nodded.

"Everything.", he said and Anne smiled.

"What on earth where you thinking when you bedded your niece?", she asked because she couldn't tell how long she thought about it but she couldn't get a conclusion. 

Richard was silent for a moment and as Anne turned her gaze away from him he said: "I thought of you."

Anne looked at him again and stood up, turning away from him.  
"You can't be serious.", she said and went to the window, looking outside.

"And what did you think when you told her you fell in love with her?", Anne asked, still looking outside.

Richard was silent for a moment.  
"I thought you would notice that I never meant what I've said.", he whispered.

"Oh I didn't.", she answered and felt Richard now standing behind her.

"i thought I would find peace.", he murmured and Anne turned around, looking at him.

"And? Did you find peace?", she asked but Richard only shook his head.  
"No. Not after I realized it wasn't you.", he said and brushed some hair behind her shoulder.

"Anne, I hurt you. I know that. I realize that now and if there would be a way that I could make it undo I would do everything for it but I can't.  
I can only stand here, tell you that I'm sorry and that I love you and that I always loved you.", he said softly.

"Why did you kill my first husband?", she wanted to know.

"What do you think?", he asked and Anne felt her mask break.

She looked down and smiled lightly

Of course she knew why he'd done it. Shortly before Richard arrived in heaven Edward had told her what exactly happened and that Richard killed Edward after he'd confessed what he'd done to her.

Anne realized then that she would forgive him. She knew it the moment he was dead and in heaven but when she saw him earlier before the castle, she couldn't help but feel hurt again. But then again, she did hurt him, too.

"I suppose I did hurt you, too.", Anne softly said and looked back at Richard.

"By pushing me away?", he asked and Anne nodded slowly.  
"Yes, you did.", he said and placed a kiss on her forehead.

Anne closed her eyes and reached for one of his hands, brushing softly over his skin with her thumb before looking at him.

"I will make it up.", she softly said and stood on her tiptoes, bringing her face closer to his.  
Richard leaned back a bit and as Anne noticed, she looked at him with a questioning face.

"Does that mean, that you forgive me?", he asked and Anne looked at him and sighted softly.

"Of course I do.", she murmured and laughed softly as Richard pulled her back into his arms, brining his face now closer to hers.

Anne suddenly placed a finger on his lips before he could kiss her and Richard looked at his wife. The questioning look on his face now.

"That doesn't mean that you don't have to reassure me that you love me.", she murmured and Richard started grinning.

"I will spend the rest of eternity showing you just how much I love you.", he grinned and finally placed his lips on hers, kissing her passionately.

Both of them didn't notice the little boy standing in the doorframe, watching the two embraced people kiss.

Grinning, Edward turned around and started to run into the great hall to tell his grandfather that everything was right again.


End file.
